Photograph by: Allen McInnis
, The Gazette

Because he takes his 5 à 7 seriously, even when he’s off duty, the Montreal bartender always has a few basic ingredients on hand: vodka, gin, bourbon, sparkling water, fresh ice, lemons and limes for squeezing.

And most important of all: homemade syrup.

Simple syrup, as it’s known in the business, is the indispensable cocktail substitute for granulated sugar, which doesn’t fully dissolve in cold liquids whereas the syrup mixes instantly and completely. Basically, it’s one part water to one part sugar, brought to a boil and then simmered briefly until the sugar dissolves and the liquid has slightly thickened. Cool it down, transfer to a covered bottle or jar, store in the fridge and use as needed.

Come summer, I’ve always got several bottles of homemade syrup on the go: lime syrup for jacking up the citrus flavour in mojitos, rosemary syrup to add to sparkling wine and ginger syrup for adding zingy sweetness to non-alcoholic iced tea. An ounce or so added to a tall drink goes a long way.

These syrups are inexpensive and easy to prepare, and they last a long time stored in the fridge. It’s fun to play around with flavours, especially now that there is such an exciting variety of fresh, local herbs and fruits available in the garden and at the market. Moroccan mint makes an aromatic sweetener; Thai purple basil produces a gloriously mauve syrup; rhubarb yields one that is rosy pink.

Perrier, too, admits to going a little crazy when he starts making syrup. He concocts grapefruit, lemon and lime varieties by steeping zest in his syrup while it is still warm, then adding freshly squeezed juice when it has cooled down. He has surprised himself with some novel pairings, among them tomato-ginger syrup (which he adds to the aniseed-flavoured apéritif Ricard Pastis) and even parsnip and vanilla syrup (which he created to complement the root-vegetable notes in an artisanal gin).

Perrier’s current favourite is lemon verbena syrup for jazzing up gin and tonic. In winter, he buys dried lemon verbena leaves in bulk at the health food store and steeps them in boiling water to extract their flavour. But in summer, he turns to fresh herbs when he can find bunches at the market.

Also in his fridge right now is a bottle of pink-tinged syrup made with South African rooibos tea, cinnamon and cloves, which he shakes with spiced rum and Dubonnet for a jewel-toned cocktail. There’s ginger syrup, too, for his intense Dark and Stormy cocktail, a huge hit at Buvette Ludger on Notre-Dame St. in St-Henri, where he tends bar.

Perrier says the basic procedure for syrup-making is always the same. Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan. Add spices or other flavourings, then heat to boiling. Lower the heat and simmer a few minutes. Add fresh herbs or zest and leave to steep for at least half an hour, then strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter and discard the solids. Refrigerate syrup in a clean jar with a tight seal.

How much of the flavourings to use is a question of personal taste, he says. For more intense flavour, use more and leave to steep for longer.

“It’s important to taste and adjust as you go. And then taste some more. There is no right and wrong,” he says.

He cuts through sugary sweetness with the sour taste of lemon, lime, grapefruit or unsweetened pomegranate juice. He gives extra dimension to his syrups by introducing unexpected herbal or spice notes.

Here are a few simple syrup recipes to get you started, and some ideas for using them in drinks.

Simple Syrup

Use this classic syrup an ounce at a time. It keeps, stored in the refrigerator, for many weeks.

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and liquid thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Allow to cool and transfer to a clean bottle. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

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Rose and Lime Syrup

A syrup of freshly squeezed lime juice and bottled rosewater, found in Middle Eastern grocery stores, this adds exotic floral notes to iced tea or gin and tonic. Add an ounce or so to the mixed drink, stir and serve.

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup rosewater

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or so, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add lime juice and rosewater. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, cool and store in the fridge.

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Rosemary Syrup

This herbal syrup is intensely scented and deeply flavoured. I mix a spoonful into a flute of sparkling wine and then top with cranberry juice.

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 fresh rosemary sprigs

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand at least half an hour, or up to 3 hours. Strain, discard rosemary sprigs and transfer syrup to a clean jar or bottle.

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Lemon Verbena Syrup

The intense lemony aroma of this annual herb makes it an excellent counterpart to the sweetness of syrup. At Buvette Ludger, they use it in a spectacular cocktail called the Mont Blanc, made with Chartreuse liqueur, licorice-tasting Fernet Branca, lemon and lime juice and Coke.

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

A large handful of lemon verbena leaves (about 30)

In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Simmer briefly until sugar dissolves. Add verbena leaves and cover pan. Let steep for about half an hour. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and let cool.

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Ginger Syrup

The spicy jolt of fresh ginger root gives this sweet syrup real character. Use it to sweeten iced tea with lemon, to make a rum-based Dark and Stormy (recipe follows) or in a classic ginger ale.

1 four-inch piece ginger root

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Zest of half a lemon

Cut unpeeled ginger into thin slices. In a medium saucepan, combine ginger, sugar, water and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before straining out ginger and lemon zest and transferring to a clean jar or bottle. (For more intense flavour, do not remove ginger immediately from syrup.) Store in refrigerator until needed.

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Dark and Stormy

Here is Manuel Perrier’s simpler home version of his Ludger drink.

1 ounce ginger syrup (see above)

1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

2 ounces dark rum

Club soda

In a lowball glass, combine ginger syrup, lime juice and rum. Add ice and top with club soda.

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The following recipes are taken from Make Your Own Soda (Clarkson Potter), a book of syrup recipes from Anton Nocito, founder of the P&H Soda Co. in Brooklyn. Tart and tangy citrus syrups, he says, offer both sweet and sour notes to drinks with or without alcohol. He uses a Microplane zester to avoid the bitter white pith on the underside of the zest.

Grapefruit Syrup

Use this to make a refreshing non-alcoholic grapefruit soda. For one drink, fill a tall glass with ice and then add 3 tablespoons of the grapefruit syrup and top with seltzer water and stir.

2 cups water

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

Zest of 2 grapefruits

3/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, salt and sugar to a boil. Add the zest and remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and steep for 20 minutes.

Add the juice to the pan and stir. Strain the syrup through cheesecloth and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Lime Syrup

1 1/4 cups water

1 cup sugar

Zest of 4 limes

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the zest and remove the pan from the heat. Steep for at least one hour.

Let cool. Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Basil Syrup

With its mild peppery flavour and delicate menthol aroma, basil is an unexpected but welcome addition to syrup. Try specialty varieties like lemon basil, chocolate basil and pineapple basil. (You can also use mint instead of the basil.)

2 cups water

1 2/3 cups sugar

25 large fresh basil leaves

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water and sugar to a boil and simmer until sugar dissolves and syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add basil leaves, cover the pan and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh strainer, discard the leaves and let cool. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days.

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